Steerable driving-wheel.



R. E. SHAFPER.

STEERABLB DRIVING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.13, 1911.

1,066,666. Patented July is; 191:5

RAY E. swans, oF-coLUaiBJUs, 01110.

srnnaannii DRIVING-WHEEL,

Specification of Letters Patent.

1 Patented July 8,1913.

Application filed November 13, 191 s riarm esamo.

To all whom, it may concern v Be it known that T, RAY E. SHArFER,-a

citizen of theUnited States, residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in steerable Driving Wheels, of which the following is a specification. I n I a I My invention relates to steerable'drivlng wheels and is particularly designed for the production of a driving-wheel of such af structure as toien'able and insure a positive drive at all times and at the same time to permit of steering.

a main driving shaft and a supplemental pivoted driving'extension, these elements being cooperative with a supporting sleeve" and a supplemental pivoted sleeveextension which serves asia means of support for \the said pivoted supplemental driving shaft and an intermediatememfier'between such sup plemental shaft and the wheel; v

One-0f theessentialifeatures of my invention resides in the provision of an extensible auxiliary driving shaft-member, which is automatically operated. The purpose' of; this is to compensate for the tendency for" ,inward or outward movement when turning at an angle to the normal course.

The preferred form of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in

which similar characters of reference desiglongitudinal sectionof the wheel structure shown'in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a detail view of a peculiar form of dust excluding structure for precluding the entrance of dust 'to the brake band, Fig. 4 is a plan view of one sec-I tion of the extensible member, Fig. 5 is a projected elevation of this section, Fig.6 is a detail view of the complemental'section of the extensible member, Fig. 7 .is a plan view of the section shown in Fig. 6, and, 8 is a transverse section of the extensible mem her in assembledcondition and mounted in its supporting sleeve.

In the drawings, I have shown the preferred type of idle Wheel utilized by me,

L-shaped in cross section and is utilized as a casing foran expansion friction brake,-

being preferably disposed upon the inner' side of the hub and a'band brake on its external surface: llhe outer side of the .hub

isdesirably threaded as at 7 for'the reception of 'an internally threaded cap 8. Go-

acting with the floating wheel, I provide a sleeve '9 integrally formed upon the U shaped casting 10 pivoted at 11' and 12 to the complemental U-shaped structure of, a

supporting sleeve .13. The .outer extremity ternally threaded annular ring 15 which is externally'cha'nneled to -form-a seat 17; The.

sleeve 13 is desirably provided with a bushv ing 18 .for ithe rotatablesupport of a'driving shaft 19 to which i'sjointed as at 20 one section 21 of an extensiblecmember. This element his secof the sleeve 9 .is desirably externally threaded as at '14 for the reception of an in- It desirably contemplates the-provision of section 21'has its inner extremity provided with an integrally cast iembracin 22 to form a suitable joint at 20.

ition 22 is desirably longitudinally slotted from one end-asat 23 and formedof a substantially compound dovetail-contour. This slot 23 is intersected .at intervals by pins 24 which are ,applicable' in the assemblagepf my wheel andwhich are designed to be permanent in their nature Complemental to this section 21 is'asection 25 which is'provided with opposing grooves 26 and 27 separated by a Web 28 which is constructed with spaced slots 29 for the reception of the v In assemblage, it will be seen that the driving or power shaft 19 is supported within the sleeve 13 through the mediumo'f the bushing 18 and that the pivoted extensible members are supported within the sleeve 9 wheel is supported upon this sleeve through the medium of complemental antifriction rings '36 and 37 having opposing ,channelsfor the working reception of antifriction cylinders 38. The ring 15 is supplemented in its anti-friction action by a -upon the casting 10. The hub of the float- ,ing

superposed annular-ring 39, thesetwo rings forming bearing channels for cylinders 40. The casting "is further provided with "offset fingers 41 carrying'a disk 42 which fits within the mouth of the casing formed by the L-shaped flange 6 and excludes the dust from the brake carried in such casing.

In operation, it will be seen that power is transmitted to my improved type of wheel by means of the power shaft 19, connection 20, extensible members 21 and 25, ring 31, hub 3 and spokes 1' to the-rim of the Wheel. The intermediate supporting connection is provided through the' medium ofthe cast-- ing 10, sleeve 9 and the interposed anti-fric-.

tion rings. At the same time, dust is excluded from thebrake band casing by means of the disk 42 and fromthe outer side 'of the hub, by means of the internally threaded cap 8.

It will be understood that the steering of the wheel, may be effected inany desirable manner. pins 24 are of a comparative'size such as to insure a capability of movement in theirslots and'because of such capability there is effected an automatic adjustment in rounding corner a What I claim, is

1. A steerable driving Wheel comprising a rotatable power shaft, 21 supporting element for the rotatable shaft, a pivoted elementupon said power shaft having longitudinal grooves oppositely disposed, 'a complemental member interfitting in said grooves, a wheel, and an intermediate support-carried by said wheel enveloping said pivoted element and It will also be apparent that the" its complemental member to form a driving connection and pivoted upon said supporting element. e 2. A steerable driving wheel comprising a rotatable power shaft," a supporting element;

for the rotatable shaft, a pivoted element upon said power-shafthaving longitudinal grooves on opposing sides and having the separating. Web of such grooves slotted, a complemental member interfitting in the said grooves, pins carried by said complemental member and fitting adjustably in said slots, wheel, and an intermediate support pivote'd upon said supporting element.

3. A steerable driving Wheel comprising a rotatable power shaft, a supportingelement for the rotatable shaft, a pivoted elementa upon's'aid power shaft having longitudinal grooves oppositely disposed and'having .the separating web of such grooves slotted, a

complemental member interfitting in said WALTER E. L. Boon, A. L. PHELPS. 

